Engine starter control switch



2? 1949 A. H. WINKLER mm ENGINE STARTER CONTROL SWITCH Filed Sepi. 4, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTZ'JE 25527 H M/wa m 11949 A. H. WHNKLER ZAQZZMQ ENGINE STARTER CONTROL SWITCH Filed Sept. 4, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 27, 1949 ENGINE s'rsn'rsn coN'raoL swrrcn Albert II. Winkler, South Bend, ImL, asslgnor to Bendix Aviation Corporation, South Bend, Ind., a corporation of Delaware Application September 4, 1944, Serial No. 552,609

8 Claims. 1

This invention relates to control devices and particularly to starter control devices or apparatus for internal combustion engine starters.

Various arrangements and types of control devices for electric starters used to crank internal combustion engines have been proposed and it is generally desirable to have such starter control, including the electric switch, attached to or built into the carburetor. However there is 'a dripsiderable problem in providing such a control device in combination with the carburetor without complications involving the functioning of certain necessary parts of the carburetor, such as, for example, the fast idle and deflooding mechanism which generally includes a connection between the choke valve and the fast idle cam, and the acceleration pump actuating mechanism which in a manually operated pump includes a connection between the throttle shaft and the pump piston. These difficulties are particularly troublesome in certain well known types of starter control devices such as those wherein said devices are connected directly to the throttle shaft.

It is therefore an important object of the invention to provide a starting device which is closely associated or combined with the carburetor and which solves the present problem and overcomes the difficulties mentioned above.

It is another object of the invention to provide .a device of this character which will not interwill be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description taken in con--' nection with the accompanying drawings, which represent a preferred embodiment. After considering this embodiment skilled persons will understand that many variations may be made without departing from the principles disclosed, and I contemplate the employment of any structures, arrangements, or modes of operation that are properly within the scope of the appended" claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view oi a carburetor embodying the present invention, the carburetor having portions cut away to show the interior construction and arrangement of the various parts;

Figure 2 shows the device embodying the present invention with the parts in their respective positions when the engine is inoperative; and

Figures 3 to 5 inclusive show the various parts of said device in their respective positions under various engine operating conditions.

Reference to the positions of various parts in the following description relates to such positions as shown in the drawings, and referring more particularly to Figure 1, there is shown a carburetor, indicated generally at H), having an induction passage l2 controlled by a throttle ll mounted on a throttle shaft Hi to which a throttle lever [B is attached. The throttle lever carries the usual adjustable idle stop screw 20 which limits closing movement of the throttle, and is provided with a hole 22 therein for attachment of a rod 23 of the usual acceleration pedaling mechanism, not shown, there being a spring included in said mechanism for yieldingly closing the throttle. An extension 24 is provided on the lever for a purpose to be hereinafter described. This extension may be integral with the lever, as shown, or it may be formed separately and attached to said lever by any suitable means.

The control device comprises a casing 26 of any suitable electrical insulating material such as Bakelite or other plastic used in electrical devices for insulating purposes. The casing 26 is adapted to be mounted on a boss 28 of the carburetor body, said boss preferably being cast integral with said body, and screw holes 30 are provided in the boss for receiving the screws, not shown, which secure the casing 26 to the extension 28. There is an electric switch incorporated in the device and in-- cludes electrical contact members 34, which are fixed in an integral extension 35 of the casing 26, and are adapted to be connected into the starter circuit 31. As shown, said contact members are molded into extension 35 although they may be fixed therein by any other suitable means. The inner ends of the contact members 34 are exposed within a longitudinal chamber 36 extending from the lower end of the casing, the inner ends of said contact members 34 preferably being sub- 'stantially flush with the surface of the wall 31 of chamber 36. Within the chamber 38 is means for connecting the inner sides of the contact members and includes a slidable switch member 38 also formed of an electrically insulating material which may be of the same composition as that or the casing 26, said switch member 38 being recessed, as shown more particularly in Figures 2 to 5, and receives in said recess a contact member 40 of electrical conducting material such as copper or any suitable metal which is adapted to be urged laterally by springs 42 into contact with the wall 31 of the chamber 36. The switch member 88 is received in an oblong opening 46 in an actuating member 48, shown as a fiat plate, which is slidably received in the chamber 86 and which has an end extending upwardly into a reduced portion 49 of said chamber 36. The lower defending end 48a of the actuating member 48 is of reduced size and slidably extends through a slot 68 in a gasket 52 which closes the lower end of the bore 36 against the entrance of dust and/or other foreign matter and is secured to the casing 26 by screws 54. The free end 01 said reduced portion 48a is adapted to be engaged by the extension 24 of the throttle lever, as will be more fully described hereinafter. The upper end of the actuating member 48 is provided with elongated opening 51, shown as oval shaped, and said opening 56 is bounded at the upper end by an arcuate yoke 51. Means for yieldably urging the switch closed is shown as including a spring 62 disposed on a lug 58 on the yoke 51 and said spring 62 extends into a spring chamber formed in a longitudinal extension 60 of the casing 26 and is so arranged as to urge the member 48 downwardly. It is to be understood, of course, that other arrangements may be employed for actuating the yoke in the switch closing direction. The opening 56 operably receives a piston therethrough reciprocably disposed in a pair of axially aligned cylinders 64 and 66 formed in integral enlargements of the casing 26, said cylinders extending transversely of and on opposite sides respectively of the portion 49 of chamber 36. The piston is adapted to reciprocate in said cylinders and has an annular groove 68 therein intermediate its ends which divides the body thereof into portions and 12, the purpose of said groove being hereinafter described. Actuation of the piston in one direction, i. e. to the left, is yieldingly effected by a spring 14 received in a longitudinal bore 18 in the piston, the spring reacting between the bottom of the bore of the piston and flat surface 88 of the boss 28. A gasket 82, of resilient material such as rubber, neoprene or the like may, if desired, be used to close the end of the cylinder adjacent the surface 80, the adjacent end of the portion 12 of the piston as best shown in Figure 2, is tapered outwardly from the bore 18 so as to provide a sealing surface 84 adapted to abut against the gasket 82. The piston is subjected to induction passage pressures or vacuum posterior to the throttle valve l4 by means of suction passages 86, 88 and 90, there being an opening in the gasket 82 which registers with the adjacent end of the passage 86 and through which the spring 14 extends. With this arrangement it has been found that the piston will be held at its suction actuated limit of movement with a minimum of suction and when the suction drops to a value insuiilcient to hold the piston at said position said piston makes a clean break therefrom. This arrangement also is found to eliminate noise and provide a seal which prevents dust and other foreign matter from being drawn into the carburetor induction passage and thence to the engine cylinders.

It is to be understood, of course, that while the present control device is shown as a separate unit 4 attached to the carburetor it may be built into said carburetor.

Operation In Figures 1 and 2 the parts of the device are shown in the positions they assume when the throttle is closed and the engine is not running. In this figure it will be seen that there is a oneway connection between the member 48 and extension 24 of the throttle lever l8, the member 48 being moved to its uppermost position by the extension 24 acting on the free end of the extension 48a of said member 48 and the piston l0, I2 is at its spring urged limit of movement, it being noted that the annular groove 68 of the piston is in alignment with or in the same plane as the member 48. When the engine is cranked the accelerator pedal is depressed to open the throttle valve to a limited extent and effect closing of the starter switch, as shown in Figure 3, for example, the throttle lever l8 being moved to a position whereat the extension 24 is spaced somewhat from the free end of the extension 48a of the actuating member 48 so that the spring 62 may urge the member 48 downwardly.

Inasmuch as the engine is inoperative and there is no suction on the piston when the throttle lever is first actuated to close the starter switch and effect cranking of the engine said piston remains at its spring urged limit of movement so that yoke 51 of the member 48 enters groove 68 thereby permitting the member 48 to move to its downward limit of movement whereat said I yoke is resting on the bottom of said groove. As the member 48 moves downwardly it carries with it the switch member 38 and when the member '48 is at its downward limit of movement the switch is closed, the raised portions 94 of the member 40 contacting the respective adjacent inner ends of the contacts 34 and completing the starter circuit for energizing the starter. As soon as the engine starts to fire and run under its own power the operator normally releases the accelerator pedal thus permitting the throttle valve to be closed to the idling position by the usual return spring of the throttle actuating mechanism, not shown, the position of the various parts of the control device under such conditions being shown in Figure 4. In this figure it will be seen that the throttle lever has engaged the free end of member 48 and moved said member to its uppermost position for opening the switch, the switch member 38 being moved to a position whereat the electrical circuit between the contact members 34 is broken so that the starter'is deenergized. With the engine running under its own power and the throttle valve closed or substantially closed for idling, suction in the induction passage posterior to said throttle is relatively high and said suction is transmitted to the cylinder 66 for urging the piston to its suction actuated limit of movement. This is possible due to the fact that the portion 51 of the member 48 is moved out of the groove 68 when said member 48 is raised by the closing of the throttle, the piston then being free to move in the opening 56 in the member 48. Thereafter, as long as the engine is running, the starter circuit cannot again be completed even though the throttle valve may be opened, as shown in Figure 5, due to the fact that the body portion 18 of the piston is positioned in the path of the yoke 51 of the member 48 and limits the downward movement of said member to a position short of that which would effect completion or closing of the starter circuit. Even though the suction on the piston should suddenly drop to a value insufficient to retain the body portion 12 of the piston in the path of the yoke 51, as would occur upon a sudden and substantial opening of the throttle, the starter switch would not be closed because spring 62 effects a sudden downward movement of member 48 as the throttle is opened so that the yoke 51 frictionally engages and holds the piston at its suction urged limit of movement. As an added element of safety in preventing closing of the starter switch under these conditions, the portion ll) of the piston is shallowly grooved at 92 for reception of the yoke 5'! and when said yoke is received in the groove 92 the right hand side thereof is adapted to engage the adjacent shoulder of the yoke to prevent spring urged movement of the piston.

Grooving the piston at 92 also provides a surface below the plane of the outer surface of the piston against which the yoke 57 may strike without flattening the surface of the piston which flattening might result in binding of the piston in its cylinder. In addition to providing said groove 92 the part I00 of the piston portion between the grooves 68 and 92 is of reduced diameter so that should the yoke strike said part I00 and flatten the surface thereof binding of the piston will not result.

If desired, a calibrated pressure relief vent I02 may be provided to relieve pressure in cylinder 6! behind the piston, said vent being adapted to permit the piston to be urged into contact with the adjacent end of said cylinder 64 but cushions the piston and times its spring urged movement. The vent I02 is shown as being into the interior of the casing so that dust and other foreign matter will not be drawn into the cylinder 64 although said vent may be otherwise arranged.

Should it be desired to make adjustments relative to the relation between the throttle valve and the member 48 for varying the throttle position whereat the switch will open and close the starter circuit, the free end portion of the extension 24 on the throttle lever may be bent or distorted. If said portion is bent upwardly the throttle valve must be opened a greater amount before the switch is closed and conversely, by bending said portion downwardly, the switch will close at less open throttle position.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description and it will be apparent that many changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore illustrated being merely for the purpose of describing a preferred embodiment of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a switch for the starting circuit of an electric starter for an internal combustion engine: a casing having a chamber therein; electrical contact elements exposed in said chamber; a movable switch element in said chamber adapted to connect the contact elements together when in one position; a member in the chamber carrying said switch element and adapted to move the switch element to contacting position with the contact elements; a spring urging said member in a direction to effect closing of the switch; and

suction responsive means adapted positively to retain said member in a position whereat the switch is opened.

2. In an internal combustion engine having a carburetor with a throttle controlled induction passage and a throttle shaft: a starter switch including a movable switch member; a lever on the throttle shaft; a longitudinally movable one-way connection between said lever and the movable switch member adapted to open the switch when the throttle is substantially closed; a spring yieldingly urging the switch member toward the closed position; a piston responsive to suction in the carburetor posterior to the throttle and adapted to move across the path of said connection and prevent closing of the switch; and a spring urging the piston to a position whereat the switch may be closed by the first mentioned yielding means whenthere is no suction on said piston.

3. The invention defined by claim 2 wherein the connection includes a movable member en gaged by the lever on the throttle shaft and adjustment of the relation between the throttle and said member is effected by deforming at least a portion of said lever.

4. In an internal combustion engine having a carburetor with a throttle controlled induction passage and a throttle shaft for said throttle: a starter control device comprising a casing; a pair of electric contacts; a movable switch member adapted to close the circuit between said contacts when in one position; a slidable plate having an opening therein to receive the switch member; a lever on the throttle shaft having a one-way connection with said plate and adapted to urge the switch member to a switch open position when the throttle is substantially closed; a relatively large opening in said plate; a pair of aligned cylinders arranged transversely relative to the plate and registered with the large opening therein; a piston in said cylinders; an annular groove in said piston; means urging the piston in one direction to a limit of movement whereat the groove is aligned with the plane of the plate; a spring adapted to urge the plate in a direction to close the switch, said plate being movable to the switch closed position when the piston is in said limit of movement and the throttle is opened beyond a predetermined position; and means for subjecting the piston to suction posterior to the throttle valve for urging said piston to a position whereat the plate is prevented from moving the switch member to the switch closed position.

5. In a switch for the circuit of an electric starter for an internal combustion engine: a casing having a chamber therein; electrical contact members extending into the chamber; a plate in the chamber having an opening therein; a switch member in said opening, said switch member be ing slidable in said chamber and guided by adjacent chamber walls; a spring urging the plate in a direction to position the movable switch member into contact with the contact members; means to move the plate for positioning the movable switch member out of contact with at least one of the contact members; and a suction responsive means adapted positively to retain the plate in the latter position.

6. For use in connection with an internal combustion engine having a carburetor with a throttle controlled induction passage, a throttle shaft and a lever on said shaft: a starter switch including a movable switch member; a one-way connection between said lever and the movable switch member adapted to open the switch when the throttle is substantially closed; a spring yieldingly urging the switch member toward the closed position; a piston responsive to suction in the carburetor posterior to the throttle and adapted to prevent closing of the switch when in the suction urged position; a spring urging the piston to a position whereat the switch may be closed by the first mentioned yielding means when there is no suction on said piston; said connection including a member having an opening through which the piston is adapted to move and which is bounded adjacent one end by a yoke; and a shallow groove on the piston adapted to receive the yoke therein when the piston is in a suction urged position and the throttle valve is open a predetermined amount.

7. For use in connection with an internal combustion engine having a carburetor with a throttle controlled induction passage and a throttle shaft: 9. starter switch including a movable switch member; a lever on the throttle shaft; a one-way connection between said lever and the movable switch member adapted to open the switch when the throttle is substantially closed, said connection including a plate-like member having a portion with a large opening therein bounded by a yoke; a spring yieldingly urging the switch member toward the closed position; a piston responsive to suction in the carburetor posterior to the throttle operably received in the opening of said plate-like member when in the suction urged position to prevent closing of the switch; a spring urging the piston to a position whereat the switch may be closed by the first mentioned yielding means when there is no suction on said piston; and an annular groove in said piston of substantial depth adapted to receive the yoke when the piston is in a spring urged position and the throttle valve is open, said switch being closed when said yoke is positioned in said groove.

8. For use in connection with an internal combustion engine having a carburetor with a throttle controlled induction passage and a throttle shaft: a starter switch including a movable switch member; a lever on the throttle shaft; a one-way connection between said lever and the movable switch member adapted to open the switch when the throttle is substantially closed; a spring yieldingly urging the switch member toward closed position; a piston responsive to suction in the carburetor posterior to the throttle and adapted to prevent closing of the switch when in the suction urged position, the open end of said piston being beveled outwardly from the bore to a sealing surface of substantial diameter; a spring urging the piston to a position whereat the switch may be closed by the first mentioned yielding means when there is no suction on the piston, said spring being received in the central bore in said piston; and a resilient gasket adapted to be engaged by the sealing surface of the piston when the piston is actuated by suction, as transmitted to the areadefined by the sealing surface when the piston engages said gasket.

ALBERT H. WINKLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,991,939 Howsam Feb. 19, 1935 2,061,078 Lacee Nov. 17, 1936 2,205,245 Douglas June 18, 1940 2,253,425 Garland Aug. 19, 1941 2,291,243 Levy July 28, 1942 2,326,125 Dermond Aug. 10, 1943 2,356,063 Jorgensen et al Aug. 15, 1944 

